Synthesis of Pyrrolizidine, Indolizidine, and Quinolizidine Derivatives Using Ruthenium‐Catalyzed Ring‐Opening Metathesis and Ring‐Closing Metathesis of Cycloalkene‐ynes

Ring‐opening metathesis and ring‐closing metathesis (ROM‐RCM) of a cyclopentene‐yne having an ester moiety was demonstrated using first‐ and second‐generation Grubbs’ catalysts. When the reaction of cycloalkene‐yne was carried out in the presence of 5 mol % of a ruthenium carbene complex under an ethylene atmosphere at room temperature, ROM‐RCM proceeded smoothly to give a pyrrolidine derivative in good yield, which could be converted to a pyrrolizidine derivative. Furthermore, ROM‐RCM of azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptene‐ynes using the second‐generation Grubbs’ catalyst was investigated. When an azabicycloheptene derivative was exposed to a catalytic amount of a ruthenium carbene complex, pyrrolizidine and indolizidine derivatives were obtained in good yields. The distribution of these products depends on the substituents on the alkyne. When azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptene‐ynes bearing large substituents on the alkyne were treated with ruthenium catalyst 1b , a pyrrolizidine derivative was obtained as the major product. ROM‐RCM of azabicyclo[2.2.2]octene‐ynes with 1b afforded quinolizidine derivative 20 , although the yield was moderate.